Canning of foods for the preservation thereof is well known in the art and the problems inherent thereto are also well known in the art. In order to properly preserve foods through canning, it is necessary that a proper air seal be maintained so as to prevent the growth of bacteria and thus the spoilage of food. In order to properly insure that air is driven from the food inserted into the jar, it is often necessary to heat the entire jar to thus drive the air from the liquid or the food contained in the jar and thereafter upon cooling of the jar, the lid will be drawn downwardly onto the jar thus properly sealing the jar and the contained foodstuffs against air. In this entire process, it is necessary, in order to maintain a clean jar-to-lid seal, that only air be driven from the foodstuffs and the interior of the jar and that no portions of the food placed in the jar come between the lid and the jar. Therefore, in filling the jar, it is necessary that a proper level of filling be maintained such that upon heating of the same and the expansion of the foodstuffs therein an area of expansion between the food and the lid and the rim of the jar be provided and which thereafter, upon cooling of the jar and the foodstuffs, will permit the draw down of the lid into proper vacuum sealing against the jar rim without contacting the foodstuffs.
Therefore, it is necessary in the canning of various products that are subject to a heat process, that an area of expansion and contraction be allowed between the foodstuffs and the rim-lid sealing area.
It is therefore an object of applicant's invention to provide a filling funnel for the placement of food to be preserved into a storage jar which will assist in the insertion of the food into the jar without spilling the same on the rim and sealing area of the jar.
It is a further object of applicant's invention to provide a funnel or filling device for the insertion of foodstuffs for preserving into a jar, which will provide a means for easily controlling the proper level of the material being placed into the jar.
It is a further object of applicant's invention to provide a funnel mechanism which is provided with a substantially large receiving end and a relatively smaller delivery end, which delivery end is designed for insertion into the mouth of a jar to be filled and wherein the funnel will rest upon the rim of the jar to be filled.
It is still a further object of applicant's invention to provide a funnel or filling device for filling jars with food to be preserved which includes a relatively large receiving end and a comparatively smaller delivery end which delivery end is arranged to be received and designed to be received into the mouth of a jar to be filled and which delivery end is provided with marking indicia on the interior thereof which will indicate a proper level of filling of the jar.